Dear Clients, Friends and Fellow Associates,
                                                                                                                         

The Real Estate Market right now on Hilton Head Island is a lot  like an auction.  The other day I went to an auction and watched most of  the prequalified bidders waiting for a sign or signal before making their move.  While these “bidders” twisted in their seats, a few market brave buyers made their bids, but only one very quiet bidder sitting in a corner ultimately got the property.  In my opinion, that buyer made money that day and is smiling all the way to the bank.

It is time to be greedy and quiet! Warren Buffet best said “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful”.  Right now we have a lot of “lookers” on the internet, some are coming down to preview our properties, a few are making bids, and only one will be the winner.  These brave buyers are being rewarded with superior properties at great values.  Please note that the turn is now happening slowly and quietly.  In fact, just last month we sold 119 homes and villas on Hilton Head Island and in the last week we sold 4  oceanfront homes!

Don’t wait for a sign or signal that it is time to jump in.  My company is set up to help you research and review the opportunities(quietly) while the masses are still sitting on the sidelines. Jane and I work very hard researching, investigating and preparing tours with only the very best properties.  In fact, with our network we often know about great deals before they are ever listed for sale. 

Here are just some incredible values:

• A oceanfront villa in Palmetto Dunes for $489,000
• A short sale 3 bedroom rental property for $599,0000
• A incredible waterfront home built in 2007 for $929,000
• A brand new(never lived in)oceanfront home for $4,899,000
• A lot with intracoastal and sunset views for $99,0000
• Some of the best properties we ever offered for sale!

All of these unbelievable properties include:

• Condition, Location, & Price.  In fact, right now you can get all three, but all bets are off in 2010!
• Cherry Picking.  Some of the very best locations are coming up for sale and are selling very quickly.  You have to be in the know to get them.
• Creativity.  Flexible terms and even trades are even being considered for properties saving all kinds of dough!
• Deltas.  In normal markets the cost to sell one property and buy another is greater than the delta now!  +++CLICK HERE for more details.

A wise friend once said “If you don’t plan the hunt you are just walking in the woods”  Please don’t hesitate in getting started in your search.  Call us at 800-932-3652 or email robbie@robbiebunting.com so we can start sending you some ideas.  We would also like to suggest a “research” visit to Hilton Head Island this fall.  The subtropical temperatures, wonderful restaurants, shopping and beaches are very enjoyable at this time of year.  We have arranged a special program including accomodations at one of the finest resorts this fall.  Please +++CLICK HERE for our Mini Vacation for Fall 2009!
 
Subtropical Regards~
  
Robbie Bunting & Jane
 
P.S. Our mini vacation is available for clients, relatives and friends.  We would appreciate if you would forward this as many times as you can!   Although it depends on your readiness, timing has never been better and you and your friends will be rewarded!  Thank you.

Dream BIGGER!

It is my belief that we will all look back on this year and say that 2009 was the best year to buy real estate.  With housing affordability reaching record levels and pending home sales rising in the southeast by 8 ½ percent the time to buy property has never been so rewarding.

Does it get any better?  We think so.  We recently completed a few transactions for our clients that were amazing.  Although they had hoped to sell for more, they were realistic and realized the purchase of their dream saving over $150,000! 

They sold their home for less than they hoped for:                       
   $525,000.00 Purchase price                                           

+$100,000.00 in improvements

  $625,000.00 Basis                                                            

  $565,000.00 Selling Price           

  $  60,000.00 less than the HOPED for BUT…               

They Purchased their Dream Property  for:

  $899,000.00 Replacement Property                            

 -$699,000.00 Purchase Price                                          

  $200,000.00 SAVINGS                                                    

-$  60,000.00 From above cost to sell     

  $ 140,000.00 Total Savings                                       

Moving up is taking place all over the Island as one couple sells their present property to buy a foreclosure or a market bargain.   You have this present opportunity in your favor and we would love to show you how you can save money in this market.  By the way, given the historic low interest rates, payments are lower than ever before. 

Are you interested in seeing if this can work for you?  Give us a call or shoot us an email.  We know what you are looking for and have some real estate deals and steals that you will absolutely love.  Who says you cannot have your cake and eat it too!

Thank you,

 
Robbie Bunting

Sign up for the Foreclosure Bus Tour Today!

With HiltonHeadForeclosureBus.com you will see and learn all about the foreclosed properties and short sales on Hilton Head Island and Bluffton.   Our licensed agents will show you the very best properties offered and provide a list of every foreclosures and short sale available in the area. 

On hiltonheadforeclosurebus.com you can sign up for a bus ticket to view foreclosures that are currently for sale in the Hilton Head Island Area. Simply click here  and sign in under “schedule a viewing” and we will email a confirmation for your tour and send you a bus ticket via email.   

These tours* will take you into gated communities and into the homes and villas that are offered as a foreclosure or short sale.   We schedule private tours throughout the week and weekends. 

Please choose the tour number you would be interested in seeing…
Tour 1 ~ Under $400,000
Tour 2 ~ $400,000-$700,000
Tour 3 ~ $700,000-$1,000,000
Tour 4 ~ Over 1 million

Visit hiltonheadforeclosurebus.com and sign up for your bus tour today!

See you on the bus!

Robbie Bunting &
Jane Hyers

P.S.  Please sign up in advance, space is limited.   A complete list of all area foreclosures and short sales will be passed out to attendees

Dear Clients, Friends and Fellow Associates~

I credit this economy for allowing my clients to get better properties at better prices.  I credit this economy for challenging me to do things differently and become stronger.  I credit this economy for the chance to find creative solutions for my buyers and sellers.  We have listed several ideas below that can help our clients, friends and fellow associates move faster and save money in the lending process!  We hope you find these useful.

Creative Financing 101:

Call your Stock Broker!   Recently a client of mine found a great home, but alas had not yet sold his primary residence.  Deciding not to take a chance on time he bought this great home and went to work figuring out how to pay for it.  In his search for cheap money he found his Stock Broker offered a loan at 2 1/2 percent.  Needless to say, I told him he should buy another!  This portfolio loan program is offered by many brokerage houses or give me a call as we have sources we can share with you. 

Ask the seller to offer financing!  Back in the old days when we had interest rates starting at about 17% we often looked for alternative or creative financing from the seller before we ever headed to a bank.  If the seller does not have a mortgage(if they do have a mortgage see land contracts below) they should consider the benefits of offering seller financing on their Hilton Head Property.   Of course, seller financing makes sense for the second home or vacant lot owner.  The benefits can include a faster sale and a better return.  Right now, money markets are paying less than 1.5% and the seller could easily offer owner financing at 5 or 6%. 

Ask the seller to do a land contract!  Land contracts offer more attractive financing terms over the rigid qualification standards of institutional lenders right now.  This program is similar to a lease purchase or rent to own and works for sellers that have an existing mortgage in place.  A land contract wraps around the existing mortgage or is paid straigt to the existing lender.  The seller typically offers this financing with a balloon payment of  3-5 years. At the time that the buyer secures bank financing the sellers existing loan is paid off and the deed transfers to the purchaser.  And for non conforming properties, a land contract or seller financing makes the property easier to sell.

Ask the seller to carry a second mortgage!  Given the higher down payments required by the lenders in today’s market, sellers would be wise to consider a 2nd mortgage on their property.  If the seller has some equity, this is a great way to earn a higher return than investing this money in a mutual fund or CD, but the real benefit is it will help the seller position the property more attractively to a buyer.  This is a great solution for a buyer that simply cannot come up with the down payment, but can easily afford the property.

Get a home equity line to buy a lot or second home!  Although this is not a preferred financing alternative, many purchasers have used their equity to buy property in the area.  These equity lines allow homeowners the ability to borrow up to $100,000 and still deduct all of the interest when they file their tax returns.   Home-equity loans provide an easy source of cash. The interest rate on a home-equity loans although higher than that of a first mortgage – is much lower than on credit cards and other consumer loans.

Sellers and buyers both win!  The benefits of creative financing for buyers include less stringent requirements to qualify, flexible terms, lower closing costs and a faster closing.  Seller realize benefits that can  include a faster selling process,  less difficult appraisal requirements, the possibility of deferring a gain, monthly income, a better rate of return than money market accounts and a faster closing. 

Money is once again flowing.  Conventional and even Jumbo loans are now available with very attractive rates.  If however you want to speed up the sale and reduce closing costs the above alternative financing solutions can help.  With 30 year fixed rates lower than they have ever been timing is important.  We may not be at the bottom, but we are pretty darn close!

Happy August on an Island.

 
Robbie Bunting &
Jane Hyers

Dear Friends, Clients and Fellow Associates~
 
This week will be spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property on Hilton Head Island in Spanish Wells with its 400 acres and its incredible waterfront.   We are also spotlighting the Top Ten Reasons to buy property in Wexford(29928) with its British colonial architecture and its unique harbour!  

Spanish Wells

1. It has a great location!   Spanish Wells Plantation is located on the north end of Hilton Head Island, in the geograhic center.  It has easy access the Cross Island toll bridge. Spanish Wells Plantation is within three miles of the great  beach, gourmet supermarkets, an airport, a hospital, and plenty of shopping.
2. It has great Waterfront!  Nestled on a peninsula between the Inter coastal and Broad Creek, Spanish Wells offers deep water access with private docks on both sides. 
3. It has great architecture!  Spanish Wells Plantation homes include comfortable mid-sized homes to magnificent mansions with a variety of unique and wonderful styles.  The amenities these private homes offer are unbelievable.
4. It has great golf!  Designed by George W. Cobb the 9-hole “Spanish Wells” golf course opened in 2005 and features 3,052 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 36.
5. It has the great history!  Spanish Wells was named for the freshwater wells on the property that were frequented by the Spanish fleets in the 13th century when they were exploring the area.  The wells still exist today.
6. It has a great club! The club includes golf, four Har-tru tennis couts, a clubhouse, a beach area and a recreational boat dock.  The deep water dock provides fishing and crabbing opportunities as well as dolphin watching.
7. It has a great acreage!  Although Spanish Wells is one of the smaller communities, all lots exceed one acre.  There are over 200 homes spread across nearly 400 acres.
8. It has a great blend of property.  Spanish Wells is a true community with all age groups and interest.  This is a very small and intimate neighborhood of only 200 homes and this is the catalyst that makes this a great neighborhood.  Adjacent to Spanish Wells is Wells East, a 24-home community, nestled along the first two holes on the Spanish Wells Golf Course. Property owners enjoy Spanish Wells’ amenities as well as their own pool, community well, and recreation field.
9. It has great security.   Although no security gate—the crime rate in Spanish Wells is significantly lower than in other gated plantations with their roving patrol.  The first stop sign wasn’t even added until late fall of 2001.
10. It has a unique real estate!  Brams Point Road offers a limited number of estates with deep water in the back of these homes and inter coastal beach at the front.  Brams Point Owners enjoy both sunrise and sunsets over the water from these unique locations.

Below are the prices for Spanish Wells today:

Spanish Wells Homes                    $ 599,000  to  $6,975,000                                    
Spanish Wells Home-sites           $349,000  to   $2,699,000

Wexford

1. It has a great location.  Close to the center of the Island, Wexford offers convenience to shops, banks, post office, and the Cross Island Expressway.
2. It has a great masterplan.  Wexford is 500 acres with 37 acres of waterfront winding through the residential neighborhoods.  Originally 525 home-sites were planned but some lots have been combined and site plans altered so that only 460 remain today. By design, every home has a view of marsh, lagoon, golf course or harbour.
3. It has a great amenities.   In addition to golf and boating, there are six Har Tru tennis courts, a swimming pool, playground, bathhouse, patio area, a croquet, bocce ball court, biking and walking trails
4. It has great water.   Wexford’s 37.5 acre 138 slip harbour offers direct access to the intercostal waterway and Broad Creek.  You can  get a slip or park your boat in the backyard.  There are only two other communities on the east coast with lock-controlled harbors.  
5. It has a great clubhouse.  The British style clubhouse with marble foyer and Tiffany glass skylight offers pro shop, locker rooms, private lounge, and a first class restaurant.  On Thursdays, Happy Hour from 6:00 – to 7:30 pm provides the perfect way to make friends with your neighbors.
6. It has great architecture.  Homes are designed with a British West Indies design with colonial and Caribbean architectural elements embracing the land that it sits on.  The private, championship golf course passes amongst Wexford’s beautiful homes.
7. It has great security.  Wexford Plantation is tucked behind 24 hour gated security.  Security monitors the community round the clock
8. It has great history.  Alexander Trench sailed from Wexford, Ireland in 1690 to Port Royal Sound.  The name Wexford is derived from their sister community in Norse, Weissfjord.
9. It has great golf.  The 18 hole championship golf course was designed by Willard Byrd with five sets of tees which extend a short 4,000 yards to a long 7,000 yard course.
10. It has a great blend of neighbors.  Attractive to young and old, this community offers leisure trails, a heated swimming pool and safe cul-de-sacs.  Members are spotted out riding in golf carts, in their boats, bicycling, jogging, dog-walking, and pushing babies in strollers and enjoying their community and this Island paradise.

Below are the price ranges in Wexford today:

Wexford Homes                         $579,000 to $4,995,000
Wexford Home sites                 $159,900 to  $2,395,000

We hope you enjoy these benefit lists.  If you would like a complete price list and ownership package e-mail us at islandrealtor@hargray.com.  Please be sure to visit our website www.robbiebunting.com for some of the best properties offered on the Island.  Thank you!

All the best~

 
Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers
800-932-3652
islandrealtor@hargray.com

P.S.  If you would like to visit our other top ten lists for communities on Hilton Head Island, please CLICK HERE.

Big Internet Marketing Update! 

We’re continuing to spread the good news about our properties.  We have just registered with ListHub, one of the real estate industry’s premier networks for on-line listings management.  Our recent listings will be found on these additional real estate websites by the beginning of next week and the inquiries will come back to our our companies website:

Our property listings are featured on:

• RealEstate.Yahoo.com (a.k.a. Yahoo Real Estate) which is approaching Realtor.com’s traffic!
• RealEstate.aol.com (a.k.a. AOL Real Estate)
• Cyberhomes.com
• Military.com
• Backpage.com
• Walmart.com classifieds
• Local.com
• Lycos.oodle.com (a.k.a. Lycos classifieds)
• CLRSearch.com
• InvestorLoft.com
• OceanHomesUSA.com
• MyREALTY.com
• PropBot.com
• Enormo.com
• OpenHouse.com
• ResortScape.com
• Overstock.com real estate
• eRealInvsetor.com
• DotHomes.com
• Fizber.com
• Our properties are also featured on:
• robbiebunting.com
• visualtours.com
• DunesMarketing.com
• HiltonHeadMLS.com
• Realtor.com

 Last year, we were able to add our properties to the following sites:

• LeadingRE.com (a.k.a. RELOHomeSearch.com)
• FrontDoor.com (HGTV’s real estate website)

 
As of April 2009, all of our properties are also posted on the following real estate websites:

• Trulia.com
• Base.Google.com (a.k.a GoogleBase)
• Zillow.com
• Locale.com
• Oodle.com
• Homefinder.com (formerly HomeScape.com)
• Vast.com
• Hotpads.com
• Craigslist

Our goal is to get the word out about our great listings.  If you would like to visit one of these properties please visit www.robbiebunting.com right now or any of the sites above!  If you would like to recieve or review our marketing package please email or call on us anytime.

See you on the web worldwide!

Best Regards,

Robbie Bunting &
Jane Hyers

Dear Clients, Friends & Fellow Associates ~  

Value must be seen by a buyer before a property will ever sell.  The higher the perceived value, the easier it is to justify a price.   One of the best ways to build the value for a property is to go over the checklist below.  As a fellow real estate friend once told me “we sell space and it is what comes with the space that adds additional value”.  Some call it Spanish Moss and Moon Beams, but whatever you want to call it our Island Real Estate is a value when you consider everything that you get!

Hilton Head Island Offers:

 1 – PGA Tournament
 2.38 – Million Visitors supporting our lifestyle
 3 – Plus colleges in the area area offering continuing education for retirees along with the sports they bring.
 3 – Great art centers in the area including the Art Center with Broadway type shows and talent.
 7 – top college golf tournaments, i.e. at Belfair, Long Cove, Haig Point, Palmetto Hall and others for the enjoyment of all.
 8 – Beach Parks with Access
 9 – Marinas
10 – Beautiful Gated Communities
10 – Great Schools
10 – Historical Landmarks
12 – Public Tennis Courts and over 300 total courts
12 – Miles of Pristine Beach
12 – Major Festivals and celebrations
20 – Island Parks
24 – Island Golf Courses
30 – Miles of Public Bike and fitness Pathways
42.1 – Square Miles of pure beauty
56 – Average Low Temperatures
76 – Average High Temperatures
93 – Beds in the Hilton Head Hospital(acute care)
37,918 – Population Year Round(small but great)
200 – plus college tennis teams come to HHI every year for spring practice giving access to Hilton Head residence to see them play.
200 – plus Days of Sunshine
250 – plus Restaurants
200 – plus Shops and Fantastic Boutiques
32° – 10′44″N  BY  80°44′35″W Latitude & Longitude
4.625 – 30 Year Fixed Conforming Rate
6.625 – 30 Year Fixed Jumbo Rate Today
4,700 – foot runway at Hilton Head Airport

Add these up and you have the best town on the coast to live life, vacation and experience.  Of course, fantastic prices, historical low interest rates and availability of prime properties are certainly subject to change, but the Spanish Moss and Moon Beams never ever change.  Please let us know if you have suggestions that we can add to the above list. We will re-post these additions at the end of the month.  Thank you.

From a great Island to live on,

we are:
Robbie Bunting & Jany Hyers
P.S.  CLICK HERE+ for our best villa, home and home-site values!

Dear Future Buyers,

If you are thinking of buying property now or in the near future on Hilton Head Island, don’t take a chance on time. The real estate market is dishing up some fabulous properties that not only offer incredible pricing with impeccable condition and fabulous locations. That said, below is a true story about waiting to buy.

In 1986, I met Ron a potential buyer for a second home near the beach at our furnished Huntington Model. Ron was my first real contact with an IBM engineer. Ron was a pipe smoking, Volvo driving analytical. Needless to say, for the next three years we spoke on the phone or met numerous times reviewing square footages, villas for sale, homes for sale and compared price per square foot as it related to location to the beach.

I should also mention that in those years, inventories were high and prices were still adjusting as the 1986 tax laws changed the deductions allowed on multiple properties. We were in a market pretty much the same as we are today. Finally after three years Ron settled on the place we first met, a three bedroom Huntington Villa. I believe he got a furniture package included, but paid pretty much the same price he would have paid in 1986. The one thing Ron did lose while we over analyzed the market was the time he could have had with his wife and grand children enjoying it.

A few years passed by and I saw Ron again and we laughed about our search together and the formulas we developed. I asked him how the villa was working out and did he have any regrets. He told me then that the only thing he regretted was not doing this three years earlier. To finish the story, a few years ago I had a call from Ron’s wife to tell me that he had passed away.

How much time are you willing to lose waiting for a sign, or the right time or the right price? You just cannot take a chance on time and when you are finally ready, I now have all the formulas thanks to Ron!

Hilton Head Real Estate